Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 202555702 - Employee Falls Into Tank and Dies from Burns Received
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
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315531814 | 12/03/2012 | 3471 | 332813 | All Metals Processing Of Orange County Inc |
Abstract: On November 5, 2012, Employee #1, an assistant anodizer, was working on a facility where parts were anodized. At the facility, there were large 1675-gallon tanks of anodizing solution. The tanks were 12 ft long by 48 in. wide by 5 ft deep. The tanks were orientated side by side along their 12 ft side, which did not allow access to the middle tanks. A u-shaped metal piece, 10.5 in. wide, was over the sides of the adjacent tanks to bridge any gap. Employee #1's duties included the placement of racks, which had different parts wired on it, onto a hoist. The racks were lowered via the hoist into a series of tanks for a specified amount of time to anodize the parts. On many occasions, these parts would become loose and fall into a tank. A supervisor instructed Employees #1 and a coworker to retrieve parts when they fell into the tank. There were problems with finding a part in the tank because of different factors, including the obstructed view on the bottom of the tank and the lack of effective drag tools to retrieve fallen parts. Employee #1 was walking on top of a tank to retrieve a fallen part. As he walked, he lost his balance and fell into a tank containing deionized hot water. The temperature of the hot water was 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Employee #1 then jumped into an adjacent tank at ambient temperature. The coworker helped him out of this tank. Employee #1 received multiple degree burns over most of his body. He was transported to the burn center of a medical center, where he underwent extensive treatment. Employee #1 later died on January 14, 2013 because of complications from the serious and extensive burns that he received when he fell in the tank of hot deionized water.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
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1 | 315531814 | Fatality | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Chemical technicians |